Washer brush and holder



Aug. 29, 1933. E. G. GRIFFITH 1,924,432

WASHER BRUSH AND HOLDER Filed Oct. 24, 1930 224 6. Gk/FF/TH L L v. 56 4X M v which:

the line 44 of Fig. 3.

" Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE V v 7 1,924,432 WASHER BRUSH AND HOLDER. Earl G. Griflith, Los Angeles'oaiir.

Application October 24, 1930. Serial No. 490,930

, 9 Claims. (01. 146-199) machines of several different types are extensively used for washing oranges, lemons and grapefruit. Some of these machines use a wall covered with brushes for contacting and scrubbing the fruit as it is fed along this wall. Par- 7 ticuiarly is this true-in the Corey type of lemon washer and the Ofstadcone-disc orange washer.

Difficulty has been experienced hitherto in providing a satisfactory means for holding these brushes. 1 It is desired that the brushesv be easily in- I stalled; that when installed they will be rigidly retained in position under the continuous vibration of the scrubbing. action of .the fruit, and finally, that when worn out the brushes may be quickly and easily removed.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a brush embodying a holding means accomplishing the requirements noted above.

The manner in which the above objects are accomplished as well asfurther objects and advantages will be mademanifestin the following description and the accompanying drawing in Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic fragmentary plan v iew of a Corey fruit washer 1O embodying my invention.

2 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the brush and brush holder of my invention. a

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of thebrush and brush holder shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the brush holder shown in Fig. 3 when removed from the brush. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a plurality of brushes mounted upon a modified form of support.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of a modified form of brush and brush holder mounted upon another modified form of support. The washer 10 includes a tank 11 which is enlarged to form a feed tank 12' and a discharge tank 13 each of which connect directly with the tank 11. Mounted on a shaft 15, supported=in suitable bearings, and adapted to be rotated in a horizontal plane is a brush wheel 16 having an annular brush 17 disposed upwardly. Supported on an overhead frame (not shown) is an brush backhas been slid into the holder 54 so brush ba'ck.43 and trap these-corners untilthe 'side'members 57 of the holder 'arespread apart inner annular brush wall 20 and an outer semiannular brush wall 21. Also hanging] loosely from this support is a series of overhead brushes which are hinged together as shown in Fig. 1'. Inoper atin g the washer 10 the tanks 11, 12 and 13 are filled with water as indieatedin Fig. 2, the wheel 16 is rotated and fruit is floated onto I the brush 17 in the direction of the arrow and W carried along a semi-annular channel 31 formed between the brushes, 17, the brush walls 20 and a 21, and the overhead brushes 25 to a point where the fruit is swept from the brush l'lby a guide wall 32 into the discharge'tank 13 whereit is picked up by. .a discharge elevator 331and delivered onto a sortingtable. A The present invention relates particularly to a brush embodying holding means which is particularly adapted to be assembled to providea wall suitable'for use as one of the brush walls '20 or 21. These walls are both constructed in the same manner and each includes a support memv ber ,40which is preferably formed of sheet metal jacent ends by channels 49 formed inupper and lower'edges of the back 43. Associated with each brush 42 is "a holder'54 which is preferably formed of spring wire and has a U-shapedbody. including a bottom portion 56 and side por- ,tions 57. The upper ends of the side portions 57 are bent rearwardly to formjdo'gs 60 and support. clamping arms 61, lower ends 62 of which'are curved outwardlyas shown in Figs; 2 and 3. As 1 shown in Fig. 6, theside portions 57 of the U- shaped body 55 are normally inclined inwardly. These are adapted to be stretched apart to re-m ceive the back 43 of a brush 42.. VWhen the, 00

that theside members 5'T'are disposed in the side channels 48 and the bottom member 56 is disposedin one of the channels 49 the dogs '60 will snap in place over opposite corners of-the 6 to release the back from the dogs 60. It is also to be noted that the provision of channels 49 at opposite ends of the brush back 43 permits the brush to be inserted in the holder 54 with either 2.: v

f receive a single brush 42.

end uppermost. This of course could be accomplished also without a channel at either end of the brush but it ispreierable to provide the channels 49 so that these will receive the bottom holder member 56 and thus more securely unite the brush back 43 to the holder 54.

When the back 43 is thus slid in place in the holder 54 the combinedbrush and holder are adapted to be installed on the support member '40. This is accomplished by sliding the brush downwardly against the inner face of the the upper edge of the'support 40.

'It is preferable to have the brushes 42 disposed in contact with each other along the inner surfaces of the supports 46.30 that wobbling of the brushes on the supports 40 is prevented. Where the brushes are subjected to considerable vibration it may be found desirable to provide one or more projections such as fixed pins "10 so that these extend inwardly'from the support 40 as shown in Fig. 7 so that there is just space enough between adjacent pairs of pins to Itshould be noted that pins '70 used in this manner. would extend alongside opposite edges of each of the brushes 42 making up the brush wall so that side members 57 of each holder 54 would be positively retained in place in the side channels 48 of the brush back 43 with which'they are associated. It is also noted that this prevents the dogs 60 from becoming 'unlatched from over the upper corners of the brush back 43,

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated another modified form of my invention in which the support 40 may have rearwardly' outstruck I portions '75 about which clamping arms '76 of the holder 54 are adapted to belocked. complished by the clamping arms "76 being bent sharply inwardly and having parallel portions 77 terminatingin hooks 78, the latter'hooking about lower ends of the outstruck. portions 75. The modified form of holder and support shown in Fig. 8 locks the holder onto the. support until a portion of the holder is sprung to permit it to be unlocked from the support. It'is. to be noted'that the brush and brushholder of my invention embody many advantages including the provision of a very inexpensive means of securing the brushes 42 .to the supports 40 as well as a means which permit the brushes to bebuickly installed and as quickly removed -when necessary to replace a worn out brush, and also a means which under no circumstances will protrude inwardly beyond the brush back so that it might possibly engage and injure thev fruit passing through the washer 19. It is particularly to be noted that this brush and brush holder maybe used in any place whereit is desired'to secure the brush back to a support This locking is ac-- member in a similar manner .tothat illustrated herein. It is particularly suitable in any machine where practically vertical brush walls such as the walls 20 and 21 are required.

I claimas my invention:

1. In a fresh fruit washer, the combination of: a support; a brush having a back, there being channels formed in opposite edges of said back;

and a holder including a length of spring wire" bent in a U-shape, the side portions or said .U yieldably extending into said channels, fie

ends of said portions being rebent to form gripping arms for attaching said back to said support.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which a recess is formed in said back between adjacent receive the bottom cross portion of said U.

3. A combination as in claim l'in which recesses are formed in opposite edges or" said back between adjacent ends of the aforesaid channels, either of said recesses being adapted to receive the bottom cross'portion of said 4. A combination as in claim 1 in which projections are formed upon said support and extend therefrom into contact with said holder when'said brush positioned on said support, to retain said holder U side portions in said channelsp 5. Acombination as in claim 1 in which projections are forrned'irom said support to deteri'nine the position of said gripping arms by contacting these. when said holder is applied to said support.

v 6. A combination as in claim l in which said gripping arms have hooks provided thereon,-

there being formations provided on said sup port with which said hooks engage when said holder is positioned on said support to more rigidly position said brush on said support.

7. In a brush unit adapted for use in a fresh fruit washer in a substantially vertical position,

the combination of a brush back having grooves in its side edges; a spring wire base extending across the bottom edge of said back; spring wire brush gripping arms extending upward from opposite ends of said base'undera tension which yieldably urges them'into said grooves; and a 7 pair of hooks rebent from upper ends of said arms for supporting said unit, said hooks yieldably pressing against said brush back.

8. A combination as in claim 1 in which projoctions are formed upon saidsupport and extend therefrom alongside said brush, when the latter is positioned on said support, to retain said holder U side portions in said channels.

'9. In abrush unit adapted for use in a fresh fruit washer in a substantially vertical position, the combination of a brush back having grooves in its side edges; a spring wire base extending across the bottom edge of said back; spring wire 

